Farm Pickings

News and Updates from Sanborn Mills Farm

— August 28, 2024 —

The technologies which have had the most profound effects on human life are usually simple. A good example of a simple technology with profound historical consequences is hay.

Nobody knows who invented hay, the idea of cutting grass in the autumn and storing it in large enough quantities to keep horses and cows alive through the winter. All we know is that the technology of hay was unknown to the Roman Empire but was known to every village of medieval Europe.

~~ Freeman Dyson

Upcoming Events at the Farm

Click on the title of the event for more information and to register.

September 7: Farm to Table Dinner & Silent Auction.

October 13: Sunday Supper

December 7: Winter Market

Blacksmithing Availability!

Our Blacksmithing workshops are extremely popular and nearly always sell out. However, we have limited availability for Blacksmithing Basics on Sept. 13-15. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn one of the world’s great and historic crafts. Skills and techniques covered in this workshop by instructor Garry Kalajian include:

• Working with a traditional coal forge and mild steel;
• Body mechanics, metallurgy, and safety;
• Starting and managing a coal-fired forge;
• Maximizing draft, preparing and managing coal-fuel;
• Distinguishing the right temperature for various forge processes;
• Various forging techniques.

Click on the workshop title for more information and to register.

Upcoming Workshops of Interest

We are in the latter stage of Sanborn Mills Farm’s 2024 Workshop Program, but there are still several workshops on the schedule to choose from, going all the way into mid-November. Many of our workshops fill quickly, so if there’s a workshop or two that catches your interest, make a point to register soon. The full schedule of 2024 workshops is posted on our website here.

Here are three upcoming workshops that may be of particular interest to you. Click on the workshop title for more information and to register.

Cyanotype Printing and Mindful Stitching

October 5-6 Instructor: Katama Murray

This workshop will focus on various cyanotype printing techniques on fabric and paper to create a series of prints, fabric patches and hand-bound books. Dive into the realm of this photographic printmaking process and book art methods as a way to connect to the season and objects around us. Participants will learn the basics of cyanotype printing on different coated materials, hand stitching and embroidery techniques, as well as simple methods to create small hand-bound books using the pamphlet stitch and accordion fold. This weekend offers an amalgamation of outdoor foraging, printmaking, photography, bookmaking and fiber processes, thereby offering infinite possibilities for creativity within each mode of making. Create beautiful, one-of-a-kind pieces that can be admired forever while taking time to slow down and appreciate the diversity of patterns, shapes, and ideas dwelling alongside and within us. No experience with any techniques is necessary to join!

Baker’s Dozen: Alternative Techniques and Materials in Rug Hooking

October 12-13

Instructor: Elizabeth Miller

The basic loop is the foundational technique of traditional rug hooking. However, there are many more techniques applicable to this art that can add texture, interest, movement, and meaning to a finished piece. In this workshop we will explore ‘beyond the basic loop’ as well as experiment with materials in addition to cut wool strips and yarn. These additional materials can include acrylic paint, silk, sari ribbon, taffeta, tee shirt material, wool roving, embroidery floss and perl cotton, stretch velvet, and more, as well as beads, buttons, gemstones, shells, and other found objects. Participants are encouraged to bring any materials that may have significant meaning to them as well. Techniques and a discussion on how to apply them will include: chain stitch, introductory proddy, applique, stuffed applique, French knots, faux French knots, shearing, acrylic paint embellishment, the use of beads & other stitch-ons, quillies/standing wool, beading/checkerboarding, surface needle felting, tunneling, multiple material loops, and whatever else may come up in context! This is a time to be inventive! This workshop is a great next step for beginners who have completed a few projects and for experienced rug hookers who are interested in learning or practicing new techniques.



Fermentation Workshops:

Vegetable and Fruit Wild Fermentation

October 12

Drinks & Sourdough

October 13

Instructor: Alex Lewin

There are many reasons to preserve food. And there are many ways. Fermentation is one of the oldest and one of the best. Food fermentation entails convincing microbes to change our food in a controlled way. The necessary microbes are often already present on the food and in the air. When you ferment using only ambient microbes, it is called “wild fermentation.” Fermented foods are generally more nutritious, easier to digest, and more durable than their unfermented counterparts. The October 12 workshop focuses on whole and cut vegetables and fruit; the October 13 workshop on a variety of fermented beverages. We will also discuss sourdough, start it, and work with it. NOTE: We will be working with gluten and dairy. There is no way for us to accommodate people with allergies to one or both of them.

www.sanbornmills.org

Photo Credits

Top photo by Lea Rossignol.

Blacksmithing workshop photo by Steve Bjerklie.

Workshop photos courtesy the instructors.

Sanborn Mills Farm | 7097 Sanborn Road | Loudon, NH 03307 US